Sighting system for firearms



33-241- OR 302189718 SR Nov. 23, 1965 H. M. HAYS 3,218,718

SIGHTING SYSTEM FOR FIREARMS Filed April 25, 1963 64%?! #1 ZZE United States Patent 3,218,718 SIGHTIN G SYSTEM FOR FIREARMS Harry M. Hays, 190 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford, Conn. Filed Apr. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 275,570 11 Claims. (Ci. 3352) This invention relates to sighting systems for firearms and more particularly to a firearm sight which requires very little time for aiming the firearm at a moving target or the like.

In shooting with a shotgun, the usual theory is to not take a definite aim, but rather to more or less point the gun at the target. This method is necessary in order that the shooter may pick up a fast moving target and pull the trigger before the target moves out of range or out of sight. To improve the shooters ability to perform this type of aiming or pointing, many modern shotguns have a rib on the upper portion of the barrel and running the full length thereof. Although these ribs do tend to improve the pointing and leveling of the gun at the target, the average shooter regardless of whether his gun has a rib or not will probably never consistently have his shooting eye at the same elevation with respect to his gun and will overshoot or undershoot his target if his eye is not at the correct position. The sighting system of the present invention is especially well suited for use with shotguns to alleviate this tendency and to thereby improve the shooters accuracy with regard to fast moving targets. It is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to use with shotguns and that it, or various features thereof, may be used to advanrage on rifles or other types of firearms.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sighting system for firearms which has such a visual effect on the user of a firearm to which the sighting system is attached that it becomes a dominant object in his field of vision and is therefore readily and immediately picked up by the users eye as the firearm is brought into firing position, the users shooting eye thereby being pulled almost automatically or at least unconsciously into correct aiming position relative to the shotgun to speed up the time required to aim and shoot.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive firearm sighting system which may be adapted for attachment to various different types of firearms, and in particular, shotguns whether of the ribbed, ventilated ribbed, or nonribbed variety.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a sighting system which permits rapid aiming or check sighting of a firearm.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a sighting system for a firearm, the sighting system employing front and rear sights, which sights are so constructed with regard to the sensitivity of the human eye that the sighting surface or elevation of the front sight as perceived by the shooter dominates the sighting surface or elevation of the rear sight with the rear sight nevertheless being a dominant object in the shooters field of vision.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved firearm sight which is more visible and therefore more readily picked up by a shooter than sights presently available, the features providing the improvements being adaptable to both front and rear sights and to sights for shotguns, rifles and other different types of firearms.

The drawing shows preferred embodiments of the invention and such embodiments will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the constructions disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a shotgun equipped with a sighting system of the present invention.

FIG. '2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 and showing the front and rear sights as seen by a shooter using the shotgun of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the rear sight of FIG. 1, this view being drawn on the same scale as FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation of the front sight of the firearm shown in FIG. 1, this view also being drawn on the same scale as FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view generally similar to FIG. 2, but showing an alternative form of sights embodying the invention adapted for use on rifles or the like.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the rear sight of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the front sight of *FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a shotgun 10 equipped with a sighting system comprising a front sight 12, and a rear, or check, sight 14. As shown, the front sight 12 is attached to the front portion of a barrel 16 and the rear sight 14 is attached behind the front sight at approximately the midpoint of the barrel. The location of the rear sight is not a critical feature of the invention, and it could be located at various other positions along the length of the barrel without departing from the present invention.

Turning first to the front sight 12, FIG. 4 illustrates the general shape of this object as well as the means for attaching it to the barrel 16. As shown, the front sight comprises an upper portion 22 for viewing by the shotgun user, and a lower end portion 26 which is threaded so as to be receivable in a tapped opening 28 such as found adjacent the front end of most shotgun barrels.

The upper portion 22 of the front sight defines a rearwardly facing front sighting surface or elevation 24 which is preferably circular in shape as viewed by the user, and as shown in FIG. 2, and of concave curvature as shown in FIG. 4 so as to focus towards the eye of a user a larger quantity of the light emanating therefrom than is the case with present sights which are usually spherical in shape or provided with flat sighting surfaces. A lock nut 30 is provided on the lower end portion 26 to firmly anchor the front sight to the barrel, to permit adjustment of the height of the sighting surface 24 relative to the barrel, and to permit accurate alignment of the sight with the axis of the barrel.

Turning now to the rear sight 14, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the general shape of this sight as well as one manner of attaching the same to a shotgun barrel 16. This sight has a longitudinally extending notch in its upper portion so as to be substantially U-shaped in cross section, the dimensions or shape of the notch being such that the bottom portion of the notch is substantially semicircular and, as viewed by a user, has a radius substantially equal to the radius of the sighting surface 24 of the front sight. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear sight is elongated in the direction of the barrel axis and at its forward portion is relieved to define an inclined surface facing generally forwardly and upwardly as viewed from the side. The rear sight also defines a generally vertical, flat and rearwardly facing rear sighting surface 18 as best shown in FIG. 2.

The rear sight 14 may be attached to the shotgun barrel 16 by any convenient means, and as shown an exemplary means comprises a metal clip 32 having laterally inwardly directed side flanges 34, 34 which are snugly received in two associated slots 36, 36 each formed in and extending along one side of the sight. The metal clip is in turn attached by spot welding or other means to a circular band 38 which is wrapped around the barrel 16 and clamped to the barrel in any selected position in a conventional manner such as by screws 40, 40 received in the outwardly extending ends 41, 41 of the band 38. As shown, a smaller U-shaped clip 43 straddling the ends 41, 41 of the clip 38 may also be included to improve the appearance and to aid in preventing clothing and other things from becoming snagged on the ends 41, 41. It is to be understood, however, that this means for attaching the rear, or check, sight to the shotgun, or firearm, is exemplary only, there being any number of alternative attachment means possible. For example, in shotguns having ventilated or nonventilated ribs, the check sight may possibly be mounted directly to the rib without the use of a barrel encircling clip, or the mount supplied by the gun manufacturer may possibly be used as part of the supporting means for the sight.

In accordance with the present invention, the front and rear sighting surfaces 24 and 18, respectively, are made to appear as dominant objects in the field of vision of the user, with the front sighting surface preferably being more dominant than the rear surface. In the case of the front sight, part of this dominance is obtained through the concave curvature of the sighting surface which focuses the reflected light toward the shooter. In both sights, however, the dominance is enhanced by providing the sighting surfaces with a layer or coating of fluorescent paint. The paint used is preferably of the daylight luminescent variety which can apparently reflect as much as 110% of the prevailing illumination falling on it. The perceived brightness of any object is affected by many factors. These include: (a) its luminescence; (b) its reflectance; (c) the level of the prevailing illumination; and (d) the characteristics of the human eye or other light recording apparatus. As used herein, the term luminescence refers to the ability of a material to emit light due to causes other than that of being heated to incandescence and generally covers the phenomena of fluorescence, phosphorescence and radioactive-luminescence. Fluorescent materials are those which emit light when excited by some energy source such as, for example, ultraviolet energy or normal visible light energy and which immediately cease emission of light when the excitation is removed. Phosphorescent materials are those which emit light after an exciting source of energy is removed, and radioactive-luminescent materials are those which emit light without exposure to any external energy source. In this case, the paint applied to the sighting surfaces is of the fluorescent type in that the light energy, including ultraviolet rays, falling on it from the prevailing environment, causes an emission of light from the surface so that the light apparently reflected from the surface is made up partly of truly reflected light and partly of light emitted from the paint as a result of fluorescence, with the result that the amount of apparent reflected light may be greater than the amount of light falling on the surface. The apparent reflectance of the surface will also, of course, depend on the true reflectance of the surface (Item b above) and in the paint used in the present invention, the true reflectance and fluorescent emission are such that as combined the apparent reflectance is greater than 100% and preferably, as mentioned, as much as 110%. Phosphorescence and radioactive-luminescence do not appreciably increase the perceived brightness until after the source of illumination has been removed however, and fluorescent paint is preferred in the present invention since a firearm sighting ssytem is intended for use during periods of the day when at least some prevailing illumination is present. It will be apparent that the shooter will have little or no control over the level of prevailing illumination (Item c above).

With reference to Item d above, the colors of the front and rear sighting surfaces 24 and 18 are so chosen as to be within a range of wavelengths to which the human eye is particularly sensitive, and preferably the two sighting surfaces are differently colored with the front sight being of a color to which the eye is more sensitive as compared to the color of the rear sight, thereby enhancing the dominance of the front sight over the rear sight. Although individual eye response to color varies with time, and with age and the state of health of the individual, this effect may be presented as it affects an average observer. Based on test data obtained from many different individuals, the International Commission on Illumina tion in 1924 adopted a table of relative luminosity factors, which table, over the range of wavelengths from 380 millimicrons to 760 millimicrons, presents for each 10 rnillirnicron interval a luminosity factor representing the relative luminosity of the wavelength as perceived by the average observer and as compared to the luminosity of the wavelength (555 millimicrons) to which the observer is most sensitive. This table is set forth in its entirety on page 14 of IES Lighting Handbook, second edition, 1952, The Waverly Press, Baltimore, Maryland. The following is an abridgement of this table:

Wavelength, Relative Color millimicrons Luminosity Factor From this table it will be noted that the yellowishgreen color at approximately 555 millimicrons wavelength exhibits the greatest perceived luminosity in the visible spectrum. The orange color of 640 millimicrons Wavelength on the other hand has a much lower perceived luminosity, its luminosity being in fact approximately 0.175 times the luminosity of the yellow-green color. Therefore, in order that any sighting surface be of maximum brilliance, it is desirable that the paint applied thereto be predominantly of a wavelength close to 555 millimicrons, or yellow-green in color. Also, by applying a yellow-green fluorescent paint to the front sighting surface 24 and an orange fluorescent paint to the rear sighting surface 18, the front sighting may be made to appear more luminous than the rear sight and to therefore be more dominant in the field of vision of the user than the rear sight. Where it is desired to have the front sight dominate the rear sight, it is of course not necessary to use any particular color for either sight, the only desirable relationship being that the front sight be of a color having a greater perceived luminosity than the color of the rear sight. Nevertheless, since the yellow-green color has the greatest luminosity, it is preferred that the color of the front sight be close in wavelength to this color in order that the luminosity of both sights may be maximized. Although various different fluorescent paints are now available and suitable for application to the sighting surfaces of the present invention, those manufactured and sold by Krylon, Inc., of Norristown, Pennsylvania, have been found to be satisfactory and are cited herein by way of example. Of the fluorescent paints manufactured by this company, No. 3101 Red-Orange-633 is preferred for application to the rear sight, and No. 3104 Lemon-Yellow is preferred for application to the front sight.

Turning now to the material of which the illustrated sights are made, at least two possibilities are present in accordance with the present invention. First, the sights may be of a transparent material, and preferably of a clear plastic such as Lucite which is capable of transmitting light along its length. If a transparent material is used, all of the exposed surfaces of the sight, particularly the inclined surface 14 and except for the sighting surface, are left uncovered by paint or other masking material so that prevailing illumination may be gathered by the sight ahead of the sighting surface and used to light the forward surface of the layer of fluorescent paint on the sight surface, the forward surface of the paint being the surface directly adjacent and facing the sighting surface as opposed to the rear surface which faces the shooter. Providing that the layer of fluorescent paint is sutficiently thin, this lighting of the forward surface of the paint layer increases the brilliance of the sight by increasing the light emitted from the sighting surface as a result of fluorescent action and is of particular advantage in situations where the gun is pointed generally in the direction of the sun. When the gun is so pointed, the amount of light incident on the rear surface of the paint layer and available for normal reflection is relatively low. Also, when the gun is pointed generally toward the sun, the inclined surface 14 will be positioned at a relatively large angle to the incident light and will act to gather a large amount of light for transmission to the paint layer if the sight is made from a light-conducting plastic. To protect the fluorescent paint layer on either sight, it may be covered with a thin layer of transparent material such as clear lacquer.

Alternatively, either or both of the sights may he made of a solid opaque material, such as metal. In such a construction the application of the relatively thin layer, or coating, of fluorescent paint to the sight surfaces is preferably preceded by the application of a layer of highly reflective paint such as white paint. As so arranged, at least some of the prevailing illumination falling on a sighting surface is transmitted through the layer of fluorescent paint and reflected rearwardly off of said reflective layer toward the eye of a user instead of being largely absorbed by the sight itself, as would be the case but for such a reflective layer. As mentioned in connection with plastic sights, a protective layer of transparent material may be applied on top of the fluorescent layer of paint applied to a sighting surface.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the transparent or plastic sight is particularly well adapted for shooting toward the sun or in such a direction that the prevailing light falls generally toward the shooter, and that the opaque sight or other sight having a layer of reflective paint behind the fluorescent paint is particularly well adapted for shooting away from the sun or in such a direction that the prevailing light falls over the shooters shoulder. As a compromise, a sight generally equally suitable for shooting in all directions may be made by making the body of the sight of plastic, and in addition to the fluorescent paint layer on the sighting surface providing a thin layer of White or other highly reflective paint underneath the fluorescent paint, the layer of white paint being of such thickness as to allow some of the light gathered by the transparent body to be transmitted therethrough to the fluorescent paint layer.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show sights made in accordance with this invention and adapted for use on rifles or similar firearms. As there shown, front and rear sights 46 and 48 respectively are provided on a rifle barrel 50, and although the sighting objects themselves are seen to be physically smaller than the sights 12 and 14 on the shotgun 10, the general characteristics of both sighting systems are the same, and the remarks made in connection with the shotgun system apply equally to the rifle sighting system. That is, both the sights may be made from either transparent materials or opaque materials and both include sighting surfaces or elevations facing the shooter, which surfaces are provided with a layer of ilpgrgscgnt material and possibly with layers of white paint and/or clear protective material as described above. The major difference is that the front sight 48 is generally smaller than the front sight 12, and the rear sight 46 is smaller in axial length and has a slightly differently shaped notch than the sight 14. Also, both the sights 46 and 48 are shown as adapted for attachment directly to the barrel 50 and may be attached by glue if made of plastic, or by glue, silver solder, brazing, or other similar means if made of metal.

The invention claimed is 1. A sighting system for fireams comprising a front sight adopted for attachment to the front portion of said firearm and a rear sight adapted for attachment to said firearm behind said front sight, each of said sights having a sighting surface adapted to face rearwardly toward the user when said sights are attached to said firearm and each of said sighting surfaces being covered with a layer of fluorescent paint having such a color that the major portion of the light radiated therefrom has a wavelength within the range of approximately 475 to 640 millimicrons, the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said front sight being of a color different from that of the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said other sight.

2. The sighting system as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said two paints being so chosen that the human eye is more sensitive to the color applied to the front sighting surface than it is to that applied to the rear sighting surface.

'3. The sighting system as defined in claim 2 further characterize-d by the color of the fluorescent paint applied to said front sighting surface being of a generally yellowish-green chromaticity whereby the major portion of the light emanating from said surface is approximately 555 millimicrons in wavelength.

4. The sighting system as defined in claim 3 further characterized by the color of the fluorescent paint applied to said rear sighting surface being of a chromaticity whereby the major portion of the light radiated into the users eye from said rear surface has a wavelength substantially different from 555 millimicrons.

5. The sighting system as defined in claim 1 further characterized by the color of the fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said front sight being generally yellowish-green and the color of the fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said rear sight being generally orange.

6. A sighting system for firearms comprising a front sight adapted for attachment to the front portion of said firearm and a rear sight adapted for attachment to said firearm behind said front sight, each of said sights having a sighting surface adapted to face rearwardly toward the user when said sights are attached to said firearm and each of said sighting surfaces being covered with a layer of fluorescent paint, the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said front sight being of a color different from that of the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said other sight, at least one of said sights being made from a clear plastic and having at least one surface exposed for collecting illurni nation from the prevailing environment ahead of said sighting surface, and said layer of fluorescent paint on the associated sighting surface being of such a thickness that at least some of said collected light is transmitted through said layer to cause an increased fluorescent emission of light from said sighting surface.

7. A sighting system for firearms comprising a front sight adapted for attachment to the front portion of said firearm and a rear sight adapted for attachment to said firearm behind said front sight, each of said sights having a sighting surface adapted to face rearwardly toward the user when said sights are attached to said firearm and each of said sighting surfaces being covered with a layer of fluorescent paint, the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said front sight being of a color different from that of the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said other sight, said rear sight being made of plastic and having an exposed surface located forwardly of said sighting surface and inclined so as to face generally upwardly and forwardly to collect illumination from the prevailing environment, and said layer of fluorescent paint on the associated sighting surface being of such a thickness that at least some of said collected light is transmitted through said layer to cause an increased fluorescent emission of light from said sighting surface.

8. A sighting system fortjirearms comprising a iggnt sight adapted for attachment f'o"th'e front portion of said firearm and a rear sight adapted for attachment to said firearm behinds'id front sight, each of said sights having a sighting surface adapted to face rearwardly toward the user when said sights are attached to said firearm and each of said sighting surfaces being cmze egLwith a layer of fluorescent..;za i nt, the layer of fluorescent paint appl-ied t'o thc sighting surface of said front sight being of a color...differe nt from that of the layer of fluorescent paint applied to the sighting surface of said other sight, at least one of said sights including a layer of reflective paint applied to the associated sighting surface beneath the associated layer of fluorescent paint, said latter layer of fluorescent paint being applied on top of said layer of reflective paint to such a thickness that at least some of the prevailing illumination falling towards the sighting surface is transmitted through said fluorescent layer and reflected rearwardly from said reflective layer toward the eye of a user.

9. A sight for use on a firearm and comprising in combination: an object adapted to being rigidly attached to said firearm and having a rearwardly facing sighting surface, and a coating of fluorescent paint on said surface, said object being made of a clear plastic adapted t9 cgl- 1gcta..quantity of the prevailingilluminati-on ahead of said sighting surface, and said coating of fluorescent pa'i'nt being of such thickness that at least some of said collected light is transmitted through said coating to cause an increased fluorescent emission of light from said sighting surface.

10. A firearm sight as set forth in claim 9 further characterized by said coating of fluorescent paint being of a yellowish-green chromaticity whereby the major portion of the light emanating from said sighting surface and into a shooters eye is approximately 555 millimcrons in wavelength so as to maximize the perceived brightness of said sight.

11. A sight for use on a firearm and comprising in combination: an object adapted to being rigidly attached to said firearm and having a rearwarding facing sighting surface, and a coating of fluorescent paint on said surface, a layer of reflective white paint on said sighting surface, said coating of fluorescent paint being applied on top of said white paint to such a thickness that at least some of the prevailing illumination is transmitted through said fluorescent coating and reflected rearwardly from said reflective layer into the eye of a shooter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,363,553 12/1920 Barring er 33-52 1,852,875 4/1932 Endrezze 33--52 2,430,469 11/1947 Karnes 3352 2,706,335 4/1955 Munsey 3352 X 2,780,130 2/1957 Mauer 33-52 X 2,885,561 5/1959 Lange 25071 X 3,098,303 7/1963 Plisk 33-52 ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SIGHTING SYSTEM FOR FIREARMS COMPRISING A FRONT SIGHT ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE FRONT PORTION OF SAID FIREARM AND A REAR SIGHT ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID FIREARM BEHIND SAID FRONT SIGHT, EACH OF SAID SIGHTS HAVING A SIGHTING SURFACE ADAPTED TO FACE REARWARDLY TOWARD THE USER WHEN SAID SIGHTS ARE ATTACHED TO SAID FIREARM AND EACH OF SAID SIGHTING SURFACES BEING COVERED WITH A LAYER OF FLUORESCENT PAINT HAVING SUCH A COLOR THAT THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LIGHT RADIATED THEREFROM HAS A WAVELENGTH WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 475 TO 640 MILLIMICRONS, THE LAYER OF FLUORESCENT PAINT APPLIED TO THE SIGHTING SURFACE OF SAID FRONT SIGHT BEING OF A COLAR DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE LAYER OF FLUORESCENT PAINT APPLIED TO THE SIGHTING SURFACE OF SAID OTHER SIGHT. 